WARNING FROM THE CAISSES POPULAIRES ACADIENNES AGAINST PHISHING

January 16, 2008
The Caisses populaires acadiennes are warning their members against a phishing tactic which aims to steal money from AccèsD Service users. The defrauders lure members through popular search engines with a link directing the user to a website which imitates the appearance of the Acadie.com corporate website of the Caisses populaires acadiennes.

Defrauders use the image of the Acadie.com website to invite the user to participate in a contest called « Win your dream house », redirecting the user with a hyperlink resembling the home page of an AccèsD Service session. To register in the contest, the user is asked to enter their personal information, including their card number and password, social insurance number and date of birth. Defrauders are also soliciting users via e-mail using a similar tactic.

It is not common practice for Desjardins, nor for the Caisses populaires acadiennes, to solicit their members by e-mail or otherwise, to obtain confidential information or to participate in contests. If you receive this type of request, do not respond. Furthermore, your AccèsD account does not have an expiration date; you alone can decide to close it. We strongly suggest that you  not divulge your personal identification number (PIN), your AccèsD password, your social insurance number, your date of birth, or any other personal information, whether or not it is linked to your AccèsD account. The contents of a fraudulent e-mail will sometimes prompt you, whether urgently or not, to take action for various motives which are evidently false.

While we find this situation regrettable for our members, we want to assure you that the Caisses populaires acadiennes are working in concert with security experts at Desjardins in order to locate fraudulent links as quickly as possible. These phishing tactics affect most financial institutions around the world. New security measures will soon be implemented on AccèsD in order to better safeguard procedures relating to online transactions. You are invited to visit the Acadie.com website, at http://www.acadie.com for more details.

For additional information :
Mario Griffin
Communications and Public relations Advisor
Fédération des caisses populaires acadiennes
Phone : (506) 726-4785
Cell. : (506) 724-0078
Fax : (506) 726-8220
mario.griffin@acadie.com